A southeastern Indiana man who pleaded guilty to fatally shooting five people during an apparent drug dispute was sentenced Wednesday to life in prison without parole after telling a judge he deeply regretted the killings.

David Ison, of Glenwood, avoided a possible death sentence by unexpectedly pleading guilty last month to murdering an estranged couple, two of their adult children and a neighbor last fall in Laurel, a rural community about 50 miles southeast of Indianapolis.

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Franklin Circuit Judge Steven Cox found during the hearing in Brookville that prosecutors had proved beyond a reasonable doubt the aggravating factors in the killings, which included the multiple deaths and that Ison was on probation at the time of the Sept. 25 killings, said prosecutor Melvin Wilhelm.

"He said he was extremely sorry and that had he not been high -- he said he had been addicted to drugs for years -- he would not have committed these crimes," Wilhelm said. "But the judge said he did not consider being high on drugs a mitigating factor and he found that the aggravating factors far outweighed any mitigating factors."

Ison called out his girlfriend, Amanda Napier, who is not related to the victims, in court.

"I think Amanda should pay for her part in the crime, too. It wasn't like she said it was. It was premeditated and she was part of the plan," he said. Amanda Napier is facing other charges.

Members of the victim's families also spoke before the court, many of them talking directly to Ison.

"God have mercy on your soul, because we don't," said Theresa Richardson, the sister of one of the victims.

A niece of the victims, Tuesday Richardson, said, "I have a hole in my heart that will never be filled."

Wilhelm said he struggled with his decision to not seek the death penalty in exchange for Ison's guilty pleas, noting that some of the victims' relatives were unhappy with his decision.

"I know that some of the family members wanted the death penalty and I can't fault them for that, but I thought I made the right decision," Wilhelm said. "I stick by it, but I'm not going to say I'm satisfied."

After the sentencing, the mother of Angie Napier collapsed in the courtroom, sobbing uncontrollably. A man who was with the families of the victims shouted obscenities at Ison and had to be held back by deputies.

The doors to the courtroom were briefly locked while Ison was escorted out of the courthouse. During that time, members of Ison's and the victims' families exchanged words.

Outside of the courtroom, family members voiced their dissatisfaction with the sentence.

"I told him I hope he burns in hell, and he will. Hopefully, he has a very short, painful life," said Josh Napier, the son of Roy and Angela Napier, after court. "I think he should have got a lot worse than what he got. Actually there's nothing in a court of law that could make him pay for what he did. He has no remorse for what he did whatsoever."

"He'll not get his judgment day until God gets ahold of him for what he's done," Theresa Richardson said.

Ison's attorney also spoke outside of court about his client's decision to plead guilty.

"David was eager to give closure to the families, both the victims' families and his own. He didn't want the families to have to suffer through a trial," said Ison's defense attorney, Hubert Branstetter.

Ison's father said his family was coming to terms with the fact that Ison would never leave prison alive.

"After much prayer, we accept that, but our hearts go out to the victims' families. That's all we can say," Earl Ison said.